Surgical Treatment of Hydrocephalus: Characteristics and Selection of Shunt System

Kang, Joon Ki

Abstract

Most patients suffering from hydrocephalus have been treated by insertion of differential pressure valves that have fairly constant resistance. The number of shunting procedures for hydrocephalus has increased significantly with the advent of more sophisticated diagnostic tools such as computed tomographic scanning and with rapid technical advances in shunt equidment. Since intracranial pressure is a variable parameter depending on the factors as patients position and since cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) secretion is almost constant, it may be assumed that some shunt complication are related to too much or too little CSF drainage. As a result, there has been a proliferation of shunt systems that differ in their component parts, particularly their valve mechanisms. To minimize complications and to maintain proper shunt functions, the shunt system optimal to each pathological condition must be selected out of variety of systems. To effect this, it is imperative to have an accurate knowledge of the structure and characteristics of each shunt is currently available. The author reviews some of the devices currently in use for the purposes of clarification and comparison. Also clinical results of 33 padiatric patients shunted with a valve which was selected out of a variety of shunt system, are reported.